Search form

Glossary

GAP

General Access Protocol

Gateway

A hardware or software set up that translates between two dissimilar protocols, for example AOL has a gateway that translates between its internal, proprietary eMail format and Internet eMail format. Another meaning is to describe any mechanism for providing access to another system.

Gigabit Ethernet

A version of Ethernet operating at 1,000 Mbit/s over twisted-pair and optical fibre cabling.

GIF

Graphics Interchange Format - One of the two most common file formats for graphic images on the World Wide Web.

GPRS

General Packet Radio Service - A packet-based wireless communication service that promises data rates from 56 up to 114 Kbps and continuous connection to the Internet for mobile phone and computer users

Group Ringing

A group of extensions is rung by dialling a number. The group may be set as a ring group, in which case all of the extensions ring at once, or it may be set as a Hunt Group, in which case the system will find a free extension in the group to take the call.

GSM

Global System for Mobiles - A digital mobile telephony system that is widely used in Europe and other parts of the world.

GUI

Graphical User Interface - A program interface, such as Microsoft Windows, that takes advantage of the computer's graphics capabilities to make the program easier to use. Well-designed graphical user interfaces can free the user from learning complex command languages. A GUI will usually feature basic components such as a pointing device (mouse or trackball) to allow you to select objects, icons (small pictures) that represent commands, a desktop area, where icons are grouped, and a menu for the user to select a command from.